Closure for vessels



Feb. 28, 1933. w. RAMSAY 1,899,210

- CLOSURE Fog VESSELS Filed June 17, 1951 I Inventor: William A. Ramsa g His Attorne y Patented Feb. 28, 1933 I WILLLAI A. WAY, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII CIDSURE FOR VESSELS Application filed June 17,

My invention relates to closures for vessels, such as bottles, jars and the like, and has for its object the provision of a closure forming a reliable and permanent seal andwhich may be easily andquickly removed without the use of special tools. 4 L

More specifically, my invention relates to closures of the class provided with a serrated or fluted depending flange or skirt which is m compressed around and grips a head or colof this.

lar on the neck of the bottle. A ca type is widely and extensivel use in sealing bottled goods of various inds, particularly soft drinks, mineral waters, etc. It has the very desirable advantages of low cost and ease of application, and it forms a practically permanent seal against leakage of either liquids or gases under considerable pressure. On the other hand, it has the disadvantage that it is removed by forcibly pull- 0 when no opener was found to be available.

Guests in hotels often use as a substitute the corners of furniture, doors and other pieces of equipment with much damage thereto.

Where ease of removability is the primary consideration, such as in the home, certain caps or closures are provided with a ring of relatively thin metal which is spun over the bead on the neck of the bottle and provided 0 with a tab which may be grasped with the fingers and easily torn-out to break the ring and-thereby release the cover. The essential feature of this type of cap is the use of a relatively thin metal which can be easily torn 5 by pulling the tab with the fingers, the tab itself being flexible and easily bent. Such a cap, however,'provides ease of removability at the sacrifice oflow cost and ease of application. Special machinery is required to apply it. Furthermore, this cap is not suit- 1931. Serial N0. 545,060.

ableby' reason of its fragile construction to withstand any considerable pressure. My invention, however, is applied to a different type of closure, i. e.,- a closure made'of relatively heavy metal, too heavy in fact to 55 be severed or torn by the fingers. Consequently, the flexible tab cannot be used since the metal is too heavy to be torn by a pull on the tab. Furthermore, if the tab be bent back and forth, the tab itself will bend and simply break oflf at its base without ru turing the cap retaining ring of which it' ormsa part. i

In carrying out my invention, I provide a fluted cap-like closure of special construction whereby itmay be easily removed in an entirely different manner and without the help of special tools, i. e., by first breaking the skirt to release the cap, afterwhich it may be easily removed. The well recognized characteristics of low cost, ease of application and reliability of the fluted flange cap are not impaired. Furthermore, a special opener tool may be used, if desired, in removing the cap in the conventional manner. In other words, my improved cap-has all of the advantages of the fluted flange cap together with the additional advantage of easy removabilitywithout a special tool.

More specifically, I provide a special tal or tongue substantially embracing one or more flutes in the depending flange or skirt in such manner that the flute stifiens the tab so that the tab can be forced outward and downward without substantial bending of the tab itself. A twisting strain is thereby imposed on the retaining metal on each side at the base of the tab so as to break it and release the cap which may then be removed. By forcing the tab outward and downward, the retaining metal of the flange can be broken easily. The tab thus acts as a lever to twist and rupture the metal of the flange. Preferably, more retaining metal is left at one side of the tab than the other. In other words. the tab is' not cut out as far on one side as the other, for the purpose of allowv ing one side to break first, the tab remaining.- secured to the cap. This avoids the discom- 100 fort and annoyance of littering the floor with the small pieces of metal of the tab.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fi 1 is a view in perspective of a closure em odying my invention as actually a plied to a bottle;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to ig. 1 but showing the tabs forced outward somewhat during the source of the opening operation; Fig. 3

shows the tabs each broken out at one side and the closure removed; Fig. 4is a plan view of a closure embodyin my invention; while Figs. 5 and 6 are en arged sectional views taken along the line B-B of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing '1 have shown my invention in one form as applied to a closure member for bottles but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to bottles but may be applied to various other vessels or containers such as fruit jars, mayonnaise jars, jugs, etc. The bottle the neck 10 only of which is shown, is of the type commonly used for soft drinks, various other beverages, etc., and for the purpose of securing the closure member or cap it is rovided with a bead 11 at the top aroun its orifice. It will be understood, however, that the essential feature is an annular portion at this point having such formation that it may be gripped by the closure member to secure it thereto.

' The closure member in one form of my invention is in the form of a cap 12 having an annular depending flange or skirt- 13 whichis fluted or serrated to thereby provide a plurality of outwardly extendin corrugations or flutes 14, which are equa s apart around the circumference of the ange and extend downward in a direction at right angles to the disc-like top portion 15 of thecap. It will further be noted that the flutes 14 gradually terminate, that is, their depth decreases as the disc top portion'15 is ap- .proached, and that they terminate substantially at the junction of the flutes with the top portion orsomewhat below that point.

In accordance with m invention I provide specially constructed tabs in the cap, referably more than one tab being provi ed, in order that the cap may be easily released for removal without the use of special tools. As shown, I provide two upwardly extending, opening tabs 16 and 17 in the cap these tabs being diametrically. opposite each other. The upper ends ,of the tabs terminate at points which are substantially at the junction of the depending flange with the top disc is struck out of the metal of the cap,'there.

being left a narrow zone of connecting metal aced portion 15 of the cap. At its lower end or at the points 19 and 20 to maintain the continuity of the depending flange and thereby retain its holding efiect. The tab is furthermore so constructed that it embraces one or more of the flutes 14 whereby the tab is stiffened. As shown, the tab is provided with a centrally extendin flute 21 which serves as a stiffening rib. urthermore, the points 19 and 20 where the tab is joined at each side integrally in the de ending flange are located on the adjoining utes 22 and 23. As shown, the points 19 and 20, i. e., the junction points, are located substantially at the outermost projecting extremities of the adjacent flutes 22 and 23. In other words, the junction points lie on the adjacent flutes as distinguished from the valleys between the adjacent flutes and the central flute 21.

It will be understood that the cap is preferably. struck from a flat sheet of metal by 35 means ofsuitable dies, and it is contemplated that the cap will be shaped and the tabs formed as simultaneous or consecutive operations. If desired, however, the well known conventional cap, such as now obtainable upon the market and usedin large quantities, having a fluted depending flange may be sub- 'ected to a special forming operation wherey opening tabs are formed therein in accord-- ance with my invention.

The cap when applied, as shown in Fig; 1, is secured in place by the flutes or more specifically by the inwardly pro ecting flutes, forming shoulders, which grlp the beadll. A suitable capping tool is used which com- 100 presses and diametrically shrinks the flange around the head while at the same time seating the top 'of the cap firmly on the edge of the bottle. A gasket 24 made of a suitable material, such as cork, is used to assure a 105 reliable seal a ainst considerable liquid or gas pressure. The cap is thus applied in the conventional well known manner used with caps not provided with releasing tabs in accordance with my invention. It also ma be 110 removed in the conventional manner by orcibly lifting it ofi by means of an opener tool provided with a hook engaging the lower edge of the flange.

The cap can also be removed in accordance with my invention by forcing the tabs outward and downward about the junction points 19 and 20 as pivots whereby a twist ing action is ap lied to the retaining metal at forced outward an appreciable amount. This movement of the upper end of the tab is continued outward and downward, the end describing an arc of a circle, until the tab reaches some suchposition as indicated in Fig. 6. One or two downward and upward movements of the tab are ordinarily found suflicient to rupture the metal of at least one of the junction points 19 and 20. In fact one complete downward movement followed by a slight upward movement usually suflices. This breaks the flange which thereupon expands and releases the cap. This expansion and releasing action is especially pronounced when the flange is broken at two points by means of the two tabs as shown.

, The cap may then be readily removed with the fingers.

The tabs can be forced outward and downward without the aid of special tools of any kind, ordinarily by means of the thumb nail,

although, if preferred, the edge of a knife,

from an examination of Fig. 6. The lower end of the tab turns without touching the neck of the bottle, there being a clearancespace 25. If the stiffening flute or rib were not provided, the tab would have. a pro: nounced tendency to bend across its base and break ofli' without breaking the flange, which of course would not release the cap. The

stifl'e'ning rib thus assures eflective action.

Preferabl more metal is left at one junction-point t an the other,'i. e., the tab is not cut out as far on one side as on the other. As shown, the junction point 20 is the wider of thetwo and hence the stronger. This assuresthat the metal will be ruptured first at the point l9'whereby the tab remains secured to the cap as shown in. Fig. 3. This avoids the discomfort and annoyance of 11t- .tering the floor with small irregular pieces of metal, some at least having shar corners.

It is important that the top 0 the tabs terminate substantially at the junction between the flange and top 15, at least so as to i leave the to large enough to effectively secure the gas et at the oints where the'tabs are stuck out. The ta s, after being freed, are initially displaced outward as indicated in Fig. 1 just enough to enable their upperends to be engaged easily.

With closures for jelly and mayonnaise jars and other vessels havln relatively large openings more than two ta s, perha s four or more, may be used to assure the re ease of the cover. The cover is easily removable without bendin and it can therefore be subsequently ut' ized as a loose coveruntil the contents of the vessel have been consumed. 'What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A closure for vessels having a depend- .ing flange provided with flutes, and an opening tab in said flange substantially embracing one of said flutes and being substantially coextensive with said flute so that the tabis stiflened by the flute whereby the upper end of the tab may be forced outward to break the flange without substantial bending of the tab itself. a

2. A closure for vessels having a depending flange provided with flutes terminating at the to of said flange, and a tab in said flange su stantially embracing at least one of said flutes having its upper end terminating substantially with the upper end of said flute and joined integrally at its base with the adjoining flute on each side.

3. A closure for vessels comprising a metallic cap having a depending flange provided with upwardly extending flutes, a tab in said flange substantially embracing at least one of said flutes and having its upper end terminatin substantially with the u per end of a said ute whereby the tab is sti ened so that it can be forced outward and downward without substantial bending to twist the metal on each side at its base and break it on at least one'sideto thereby release the closure.

4. A closure for vessels comprising a metallic cap provided with a top portion and a de n ing-flange portion, said flange portion eing provided with a plurality of flutes gradually terminating at the junction with the top portion, a tab in said flange substantially embracing at least one of said flutes, the to of said tab terminating substantially with t e up r end of said flute and the base of said tab integrally joining with the lower end of the adjacent flute on each side, said tab being stiffened bysaid flute so that it may be forced outward and downward without substantial bending to thereby twist and break the metal joining it with the flute on at least one side whereby the cap is released.

5. A closure for a vessel comprising a rela tively stifl metal cap having a disc portion and an integral depending flange having outwardly and downwardly extendin flutes with inwardly extendingv shoulders tween the flutes to engage a vessel when seated, and

an upwardly extending tOllile in said flange in-te al at its base with t e lower end of the ange and defined-by a cut in said flange which extends over the upper end of one of the flutes and downward on each side thereof, said out terminating at its lower endsin' the flutes to enga e a vessel when seated, said flutes and shoul ers being interspaced and angularly displaced, upwardly extentlllijnfi tongues out from the flange each of is integral at its base with the lower edge v of said flange and of such width as to contain at least one of said flutes to stiffen it longitudinally and so disposed that each of its side edges terminates in adjacent flutes.

7. A closure for vessels comprising a metallic cap having a depending flange provided with a lurality of flutes, and an opening tab struck mm the metal of said flange substantially embracing one of said flutes so that said flute extends centrally of said tab throughout substantially the entire length of said tab to thereby stifl'en it. 7

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- WILLIAM A. RAMSAY. 

